CH. III. TRADE ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. 69 



well enough with what, we heard elsewhere. The preju- 

 dices of the natives are not so strong as to make them 

 indififerent to the advantages of trade with the intrusive 

 Christians who are settled on the coast ; and the unfortu- 

 nate issue of the last war with Spain has taught them the 

 prudence of avoiding wanton provocation. Whatever may 

 be the case with the tribes farther inland, the people of 

 the coast provinces are quite disposed for commercial inter- 

 course ; but the jealousy of the authorities makes enter- 

 prise of all kinds too unsafe to be risked by an ordinary 

 native of the country. Some of the provincial governors 

 who live near the coast carry on trade with European 

 merchants ; but for the rest such business as exists is in the 

 hands of the Jews. The only interference of the Govern- 

 ment, which is at least ostensibly dictated by a regard for 

 the welfare of the people, relates to the com trade. In 

 favourable years Marocoo produces much more grain than 

 the population can consume, but drought and locusts 

 often destroy the crops throughout large districts. The 

 permission to export corn is therefore given or withheld 

 by sovereign order according to the reports received at 

 head-quarters. It is needless to point out how much the 

 uncertainty thus produced must interfere with the profits 

 of cultivation. 



At Casa Blanca our skipper took on board a con- 

 siderable quantity of maize for the Canary Islands, an,d a 

 good many bales of hides and wool for Marseilles ; and we 

 found the decks in some disorder when we returned on 

 board our steamer in the evening. All next day — the 

 23rd — we remained in the roads of Casa Blanca, uncertain 

 at what moment we should continue our voyage. The time 

 did not hang heavily on our hands, for we had as much 

 work as we could accomplish in getting our collections 

 into tolerably good order. We here had to deal with an 

 enemy that was new to all of us, excepting Hooker, and 

 which for the next week was to cause more trouble and 

 anxiety than any one not a naturalist can easily realise. 



